Ardina dominates Thai Am, romps to 10-shot win

MANILA, Philippines - Dottie Ardina primed herself up for next month’s SEA Games, closing out with a one-under 71 and routing the field with a swashbuckling 10-shot victory over Thai Asama McKenzie and ICTSI teammate Chihiro Ikeda for the Thailand Amateur Open crown at the Panya Indra Golf Club in Bangkok Friday.

Five-up at the start of the final round, the 17-year-old Ardina gave her rivals no room for a comeback as she birdied three of the first 12 holes in impressive fashion to pull away for good and book her fifth victory in the season.

More importantly, the win underscored her readiness for the SEA Games in Indonesia where she, along with Ikeda and Andie Unson, will spearhead the country’s title-retention drive in the biennial meet where Ikeda is also the defending individual champion.

“I am very glad to win the title in my first stint here,” said Ardina, who set the pace with an opening 69 and surged to five stroke leads in the next two days with 71 and 73. “I feel good heading to the SEA Games competitions although I will still play in two tournaments before going to Indonesia.”

Ardina actually sputtered coming home with back-to-back bogeys from No. 13 but those mishaps only held the top ICTSI bet from posting a bigger margin of victory in the event that also featured the Philippines’ chief rivals in the SEAG.

The reigning Queen Sirikit Cup individual champion, who also topped the True Vision Junior tilt, the San Diego Masters and the Malaysian Juniors Open last month and finished second in this year’s US Girls Juniors, wound up with a four-under 284 total, 10 shots ahead of McKenzie, who carded a 73, and Ikeda, who made a 75, for identical 294s.

Dethroned champion Yupaporn Kawinpakorn never got herself into contention, finishing with a 77 for joint eighth at 299 while Pinrath Loomboonruang, who nipped Ardina by one in the battle for the individual crown in the Hong Kong Amateur Open recently, struggled to finish sixth at 296 after a 73.

Lovelynn Guioguio limped with a 77 and ended up in 15th place with a 304 while Sarah Ababa skied to an 82 for joint 16th at 305.

Lloyd Go, meanwhile, fired a six-under 66 to snatch seventh place in the men’s competition with a 284, seven behind Natipong Srithong’s winning 277 after a final round 66 while Raymond Jaraula, also a member of the ICTSI golf team, matched par 72 and wound up 22nd at 300.